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Formula One insiders talk about practice at Circuit of the Americas

Jenson Button was one of several drivers to offer his thoughts on the Circuit of the Americas and the upcoming U.S. Grand Prix. Photo by LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

As things gear up for the first Formula One race at the Circuit of the Americas on Sunday, drivers and team members have plenty to say about the new track.

Here are a few excerpts from the day's press conferences.

“It was slippery this morning and a bit like driving on ice. It wasn't so easy, but we managed to get into a rhythm. We had a bit of a problem this afternoon and so couldn't run as much as we wanted, but we got two good runs which is important for tomorrow and Sunday. I think there were a couple of surprises today in terms of pace, so we'll see tomorrow. The track will constantly improve–it's good that we are amongst the guys at the top, now we'll try to improve the car to make sure we stay there.”

-Sebastian Vettel, driver, Red Bull Racing-Renault

“It's a pretty good track, it's quick, especially the first sector which is quite full on, although sectors two and three are more traditional and similar to other tracks. It was very slippery to start with, which was quite frustrating probably for all of us, but in the end, the track rubbered in pretty well and we got into a good rhythm. As with all new circuits, you've got to work out where you can prioritize your time and where to compromise. It's got a bit of everything really, so it's good.”

-Mark Webber, driver, Red Bull Racing-Renault

“What a great turn-out for a Friday. I never expected to see so many people in the grandstands–it makes me feel even more excited for Saturday and Sunday.

“This is a great drivers' track–it's very tough to pull together three perfect sectors. Personally, I find the final two sectors easier than the first; those high-speed changes of direction need a good set-up, and balancing that requirement against the demands of the slow-speed stuff is tricky.

“Turn One probably looks more exciting from the outside than it does from inside the cockpit–it's certainly not easy, though. You can get oversteer, or lock up, and it's tricky to get a perfect line through there.

“Overall, we've had a good day. Our main difficulty this morning was switching on the tires in the cooler conditions. But we'll make some changes overnight–there are definitely some improvements we can make.”

--Lewis Hamilton, driver, McLaren-Mercedes

“The circuit was very slippery this morning–as all new track surfaces are, particularly as it was also very cold. But this afternoon's warmer temperatures meant we could get a better feel for the circuit in FP2.

“Turn one to turn nine is a brilliant and free-flowing section–particularly if the car is working well. Turn one is a strange corner though–with a very wide entry rather like Turn three in India. Turn three here–the start of the esses–is fantastic though. It's quicker than Becketts at Silverstone. It's very unusual to find a section of corners like this on a modern Formula 1 track. I love it.

“Nevertheless, I don't think overtaking is going to be easy here, because it'll be so tricky to stay close to the car in front of you. But the circuit is great fun to drive, and I hope we can put on a great race.”

--Jenson Button, driver, McLaren-Mercedes

“It's easy to turn up at a new grand prix facility and almost take it for granted; I don't think anybody in the F1 paddock did that here. Make no mistake: this is a world-class facility–built from nothing–and I'm sure it will quickly earn a reputation for being one of the greatest racetracks in the world.

“The scale of achievement–on both a human level and an engineering level–is truly astonishing. The high-speed esses in the first sector are a real test for both man and machine, whilst the excellent facilities–for teams and spectators alike–make it feel like a very 'human' place.

“Most of all, the people who have visited here in the thousands this weekend deserve our recognition and respect. We've been made to feel very welcome in this beautiful city ever since we started arriving earlier in the week, and it's very heartening to see a community so strongly supporting the success of their event.

“Overall, the return of Formula 1 to the United States is a massively positive step–and, after an encouraging first day of practice, let's hope we can put on a show that will make everyone proud.”

--Martin Whitmarsh, team principal, McLaren-Mercedes

"The track is really challenging so it was great to gets lots of running in today. It's very fast and flowing, and also a bit slippery at the moment but the grip is coming. It was a tough session as there is a lot to get used to with the car and the tires. We need to keep pushing to try to understand the car better and improve to make sure we are in the points this weekend."

--Bruno Senna, driver, Williams-Renault

"The circuit is really nice and it was fun to drive. It was very slippery, particularly this morning on the hard tires, but it's the same for everybody. We struggled a bit today with the car, which we need to look at tonight in order to be ready for tomorrow."

--Pastor Maldonado, driver, Williams-Renault

"I like the new track here at the Circuit of the Americas very much and they have done a great job with the layout. We've also had a really nice welcome for Formula One in the U.S. as you can see how many fans are at the circuit already on a Friday. The grandstands looked really packed. We had a good start to our program today, and the car felt better than at the last race. The conditions were tricky, particularly this morning, as it was very cold which meant that the tires were really on the edge."

-Nico Rosberg, driver, Mercedes AMG

"I have to say it is nice being back in the U.S., and I hope that the fans appreciate Formula One being back, too. The circuit will certainly help to showcase how attractive our sport can be. It has a very nice layout, and the good thing is that it is very challenging. Yesterday I went out to explore the track on a scooter, and it was very different from today when the low-seating position of our cars compromises your vision a lot. But then, it takes just a bit of time to understand what you have to do and where the biggest challenges are. The track is still very green, especially offline, but it delivers lots of potential for a good show. As for our program today, we had some tire issues in the second session with a puncture which affected our plan a little. However, I will just try to do my best tomorrow and in the race on Sunday."

-Michael Schumacher, driver, Mercedes AMG

“I have to say this is a really nice track and I like it very much. It is very challenging with a lot of places where you can overtake, even without DRS I can see some corners where you can pass, which will be good for the show and it is also excellent purely from a driving point of view. There was not one corner where I felt it wasn't interesting. Technically, it was quite a difficult day, because this morning there was no grip at all, but I'd say we maybe look a little bit better than at the previous grand prix. We saw some interesting things on the data today and I am sure we can have an okay day tomorrow.”

Jean-Eric Vergne, driver, Scuderia Toro Rosso

“The layout here is fantastic and you really appreciate seeing it for real, after previously only looking at the simulation. It's been very enjoyable for everyone to tackle this new challenge for the first time today, even if grip level gave everyone a bit of a surprise to start with. It's normal for a new track to have low grip, but this was beyond what we had expected; however, by the end of the day, the situation had improved and we were able to carry out our normal program to validate the car set-ups and configurations we had calculated before coming here. Both cars ran trouble-free, apart from having to change the nose on Vergne's car after Kovalainen made contact with him. Overall, it was a good day for us, during which we learned a lot. I think it is more difficult today than at any other time this season to draw a conclusion about the order down the pit lane, but I feel we have all the data we need to analyze tonight, in order to be stronger tomorrow.”